The objective of this research is to come to an understanding - in the qualitative and quantitative sense - of others than purely economic considerations in the causal correlation between land inheritance and birth rate among Central European peasants. Where undivided land inheritance is practiced the birth rate tends to remain more or less stable. Where divided land inheritance is customary a considerable fluctuation in the birth rate, either fast increase or decrease, can be observed. Through earlier research on Central European peasants the applicant has been led to the assumption that the peasants' evaluation of social descent as it is conditioned by the mode of land inheritance is an important factor for the birth rate. Where undivided land inheritance is the custom and siblings of an heir to a farm frequently become landless laborers, social descent of members of a peasant family is accepted as 'natural'. Where divided land inheritance is practiced, all children of a peasant family receive land. In that case there is no abrupt social descent to the status of landless laborers from one generation to the next. Social descent is thus seen as a preventive phenomenon. If it cannot be prevented by providing enough land or other assets through inheritance and marriage, the number of off-springs is curbed by birth control measures. By means of relevant literature, field research (in Austria) and population records the applicant will follow up this phenomenon from the 18th century, when it is known from certain regions in Hungary, to the present when again it is occuring in eastern Austria since the recent mechanization of agriculture. From this study, localized to Austria and Hungary the applicant will proceed to comparisons with other areas of Central Europe by means of relevant literature.